A Phantom's Carnival
by Alshoruzen
Summary: The Phantom Carnival is where the bizarre and unexpected can be found. Owned and run by the Phantom KID, it is also the home to some very unusual people—some of whom are not quite human. Eventual KaiShin
1. The Beginning: Meeting

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

Pairing: Eventual KaitoxShinichi

Rating: T

Genre: Romance/Supernatural

Warning: None

Summary: The Phantom Carnival is where the bizarre and unexpected can be found. Owned and run by the Phantom KID, it is also the home to some very unusual people—some of whom are not quite human.

* * *

 **A Phantom's Carnival**

 **The Beginning: Meeting**

Shinichi woke up that morning with a bad feeling in his gut. It was a twisting kind of feeling that just bordered on nauseating. His first thought was that he must be sick. But the feeling faded as he went about his morning ablutions, so he thought no more about it.

Downing a large cup of coffee, he grabbed his jacket and headed out the door at a run. He wasn't exactly late yet, but he would be soon if he didn't hurry. If he was late again, Ran was going to kill him, best friend or not.

Today was the day that he had promised he would accompany her to Tropical Land, a local amusement park, as a way of celebrating her latest victory in the high school karate regional championships. Their other friend, Suzuki Sonoko, had originally said that she would be coming too, but she had canceled on them because of some family function she had to attend.

"I'm surprised," Ran told him later as they sat on the bus that would take them to the amusement park. "I was sure you'd be late."

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks."

The girl laughed and settled back in her seat. It was as Shinichi shifted to do the same that he felt it.

A chill raced up his spine. The hair on the back of his neck prickled.

Someone was watching him. He was sure of it.

Cautious, he turned his head slightly in an attempt to see who it was. The problem was that he had chosen the window seat. This made it rather difficult for him to see the rest of the bus's occupants without being overly obvious about it. The fact that his seat was near the front of the bus only made things worse.

Frustrated and feeling inexplicably on edge, he tried not to fidget and wished the bus would hurry up.

"You know, we're really lucky," Ran said, oblivious to her friend's unease. "Tropical Land is hosting a special event this weekend."

"A special event?" Shinichi repeated distractedly, only half listening.

"Yeah. Have you ever heard of the Full Moon Performance Troupe?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, that was the traveling performance troupe that does that carnival people have been raving about, right?"

"The Phantom Carnival," Ran elaborated. "Well, Tropical Land is hosting them this weekend. Isn't it amazing? I've always wanted to see one of their performances! Everyone says they're incredible. Sonoko's been to two of them already. She says all the performers are incredible. They're so amazing, in fact, that a lot of people say they have to have supernatural powers!"

Shinichi snorted in disbelief, but Ran ignored him.

"And get this," she continued. "The master of the troupe, who's also the star of their show, is a magician who's only in his teens! Isn't that cool? He's around our age, and he's already the leader of such a famous group."

Shinichi frowned. "Wait a moment. I thought the troupe was formed eighteen years ago. How can the leader be our age?"

"Oh. Well, I think Sonoko said his father was the founder."

"So he inherited the position," Shinichi concluded. "In that case, it's not really all that surprising that he's our age. You don't have to do anything spectacular to inherit something."

Ran shot him a dirty look. "What are you trying to say?"

"What? Oh, uh, nothing," he said quickly. He had been thinking that it would be best not to expect too much (things rarely lived up to the hype people made about them), but he knew Ran wouldn't appreciate the comment.

The bus rolled to a stop, and the doors opened. Shinichi stood with the other passengers. As he did so, a sudden wave of vertigo hit him. The world rocked. He gasped and reached out blindly to grab the back of his seat. He nearly fell sideways back onto it. But the moment passed as quickly as it had come, leaving him feeling just a bit lightheaded.

"Shinichi?" Ran was looking at him strangely. "Is something wrong?"

He straightened up hurriedly. "No, no. I…I'm fine. I just lost my balance for a moment."

Ran didn't look entirely convinced, but she made no further comments as they filed off the bus. Shinichi glanced back at the passengers disembarking behind them. He could still feel that gaze on him, but who was it coming from?

He didn't have much time to contemplate as Ran was already dragging him to the ticket booths. They bought their tickets and were allowed into the park.

Once inside, Shinichi immediately began to wish he had had a good excuse not to come. The place was crowded! No, it was packed full like a can of sardines! There were people everywhere they turned, many of them groups of families with screaming, laughing, crying, arguing, insisting kids. There was an almost constant roar in the background as their voices blended in with the mechanical voices of the rides and then blurred together and grew into a sound that was all its own.

"Where would you like to go first?" Ran asked him.

"How about here?"

The voice that spoke was an unfamiliar one. Definitely female, it was rich and smooth and velvety, and it set alarms ringing in Shinichi's head. Ran, however, didn't notice. She simply turned to see a young woman sitting at a small booth.

The booth was covered in many gauzy drapes, forming a sort of dark, tent-like space where a table had been set. Behind the table was the woman who had spoken to them. She was young, probably only a year or so older than Ran herself. Her hair was a deep, glossy crimson, and her features were every bit the chiseled beauty you'd expect when you heard a voice like that. She looked at them with ruby colored eyes over a crystal ball.

"Are you a fortune teller?" Ran asked—rather unnecessarily, in Shinichi's opinion. The booth didn't look like it could be for anything else.

"Indeed I am," the redheaded woman purred. It was definitely a purr. "If you and your friend would have a seat, I am sure I could help you shed some light on the, ah, mysteries of your life. Those problems you'd like to solve and the questions you'd like answered. Maybe how to deal with certain people or what to expect from others?"

"Shinichi, let's try it," Ran said. Not waiting for him to answer, she pulled him over and pushed him down onto one of the chairs before the table upon which the crystal ball glowed pearly and dark. Ran herself took the seat across from the fortuneteller.

"My name is Koizumi Akako," the woman said with a small, secretive smile. "But you may call me Lady Akako."

Shinichi suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.

"So tell me, which of you would like to go first?"

"I will," Ran volunteered. "So, um, how does this work?"

"Please place your hands here on either side of the crystal," the fortuneteller instructed.

Ran did as she was told. She was surprised to find that the crystal ball was warm to the touch. She'd expected it to be chilly.

"Ah, I see. So your name is Ran."

The girl started in surprise. Shinichi did too. How in the world had the redhead known that? Ran wasn't wearing a nametag or anything. Had he said her name in front of the fortuneteller? No, he hadn't, though Ran had said his.

"How did you know my name?" Ran asked, clearly impressed.

The redhead only smiled. "It was a simple matter, really. But enough of that. Why don't you tell me what you would like to know?"

"Well… I was…wondering about my parents. You see, they've been separated for a while. And last time they met, they… Well, they had a big argument, and my mom was saying something about divorce… I was wondering if there was anything I could do."

"I see." The redhead's expression grew solemn as she turned her gaze to the depths of her crystal. "I can assure you that things are unlikely to go that far. However, you would do best to be content with the way things are. Pushing too hard would only make the unlikely more likely."

"Oh." Ran looked as though she wasn't sure if she should be happy or upset. "Hey Shinichi, why don't you ask something?"

"I don't have anything I want to ask," he replied. He'd never put much store in fortunetelling. Nor was he the kind of person who found dabbling in it fun.

"Oh?" The redhead turned her piercing, ruby gaze on him, her smile never wavering. "Is that so."

He shifted uncomfortably under her stare.

"Well," the fortuneteller murmured. "I suppose that cannot be helped. I will tell you this, however. A great change is waiting for you. Be cautious."

Not entirely sure how he was supposed to respond to that, Shinichi just nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

The fortuneteller nodded and turned her attention back to Ran. The two girls talked a bit longer, though Shinichi wasn't sure what they talked about since he'd stopped listening. There was that feeling again.

He turned, scanning the faces of the passing crowds. Again, however, he found nothing.

"—ichi! Shinichi!"

Jerking around, he found Ran staring down at him with an exasperated expression on her face. "Huh?"

"I _said_ we should hurry up if we want to get to any of the rides before we head over to watch the show."

"O—oh, right. Sure."

"What's the matter with you today?" the brunette demanded as they headed for one of the park's many roller coasters. "It's like you're miles away! If you didn't want to come, you should have just said so."

"It's not that! Really. I just… I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Ran had serious doubts that her friend could keep a promise like that, but she could see that he was trying. So she let it go.

Ruby eyes watched the two as they left. When they had gone, the redheaded fortuneteller picked up a cell phone and dialed.

"I found him," she murmured into the receiver, lips curling once more into her trademark secretive smile. "I think you're going to be most surprised when you see him. Yes, I know. Of course. Just one more thing." Her smile faded as ruby eyes darkened. "They're here too."

-0-

With the carnival in town, the amusement park was even more crowded than usual. Booths had been set up around almost every corner. Many were carnival games while others were more specialized such as the fortuneteller's booth. Still more were selling trinkets. Because of all the new attractions, the lines for the rides weren't as long as they might otherwise have been. Shinichi couldn't decide if this was a good thing or not. On the one hand, they didn't have to wait forever in line. On the other hand, he was beginning to think that he really might be ill after all. One moment, everything would be fine, but the next his vision would blur and the earth beneath his feet would heave. It felt like vertigo, but it wasn't responding to his movements. And it wasn't just the strange and sudden losses of balance. There were hot and cold flashes too. Each was as brief as the dizzy spells, but, as the day progressed, they were growing more frequent. Speeding through loops and sudden drops on roaring roller coasters wasn't helping in the least. They were making it difficult for him to concentrate on anything, forget having any fun. Trouping from ride to ride was beginning to feel like some form of slow torture.

Fortunately, Ran had declared that they should begin making their way to the plaza where the Full Moon Troupe would be putting on their show. Shinichi cheered inwardly at the reprieve.

Everyone else at the park seemed to have had the same idea. Almost everyone was migrating in the same direction. The closer they got to the plaza, the denser the crowds became. The denser the crowds became, the slower everyone moved.

They were almost at their destination when Shinichi spotted them.

There were two men in the crowd behind him and Ran that he recognized. They had been on the bus with them, he realized. Both were dressed in long, black trench coats with equally black hats pulled low over their faces. The taller of the two had a mane of silver hair that rather stood out against his dark attire. The shorter one was quite stout, and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.

The sight of them sent an alarm through Shinichi's head. They felt—wrong. He couldn't explain it. Then the taller one's eyes met his.

A cold shock shot through him.

Those eyes. They were cruel, cold eyes, and they had looked directly at him with something that seemed almost like recognition. But why? Shinichi had never seen either man before. So why did he see recognition in the tall one's face?

He couldn't begin to guess what they wanted, but he knew two things. One, those men were dangerous. Those were the eyes of a killer. And two, the men were following them. Now that he knew who he was looking for, he could remember catching glimpses of the two throughout the day. He hadn't gotten a clear look before now, but he could remember flickers of their faces and the tail ends of their coats all caught out of the corners of his eyes. Whoever they were, they were good at tailing someone while remaining hidden. He had only seen them now because the tightly packed crowds made it impossible for anyone to move at anything greater than a snail's pace.

What could they want with him? Or was it Ran they were following? Well, there was one way to find out.

"Ran, would you mind going ahead without me? I need to go to the restroom. I'll come find you when I'm done." Before Ran could reply, Shinichi ducked and slipped behind a cotton candy cart, using the crowd as cover. Right behind the cart was a tiny alley between two buildings. It was a dead end, but Shinichi hadn't actually planned to go anywhere. From his new hiding spot, he peered back out at the masses, searching for that mane of silver hair. Where—

"Looking for me?"

Shinichi whirled around. There, standing behind him, was the very man he had been looking for. How had he gotten there? It was a dead end! And Shinichi had been standing at the mouth of the alley. The guy hadn't been there when Shinichi had arrived, and the teen was very sure that the man hadn't passed by him. So how? The alley didn't have any doors or windows in it!

Keeping his confusion behind a neutral expression as best he could, he demanded, "Why are you following me?"

The stranger didn't even bat an eye. "You'll know soon enough."

If that didn't sound ominous, Shinichi didn't know what did. At least the guy wasn't after Ran. That was good to know. Now how was he going to get out of here without turning his back on the man with the silver hair?

What was that sound? A growl? It sounded like a very large animal growling.

And it was coming from right behind him.

He couldn't help it. He looked.

The next few moments were a bit of a blur to Shinichi. Everything seemed to happen at once.

He caught a glimpse of a large, hairy beast that looked like a wolf but had to be a dog (right? It couldn't be a wolf. Wolves didn't appear in amusement parks!) just as it leapt. At the same time, another wave of vertigo hit him harder than any of the times before. He stumbled and ended up on his knees. Something soared over his head, and he thought it was the wolf, except yet another presence blasted by him at almost exactly the same time. His ears filled with the sound of snarls and shouts, but by then it all sounded like it was coming from a great distance away. Much closer was a strange, erratic buzzing and a slow, deep fire that was climbing up from the pit of his stomach and spreading all the way to the tips of his fingers and toes.

He couldn't breathe. At that point he couldn't have cared less what all the noise and the commotion going on around and over him was about. He couldn't spare the energy to worry about it.

What the hell was happening to him?

If any of the passersby had bothered to look around the empty cotton candy cart into the alley behind it, they would have seen a strange sight indeed.

The first strange thing would have been the whirl of claws and fur that was three very large wolves rolling around on the ground. The two leaner ones were both snapping and clawing at the third, which was fighting back just as ferociously. Though it was outnumbered, the third wolf was the largest and stockiest of the three, and it was using every ounce of its superior size and weight to its advantage.

The second strange sight a passerby would have seen was a black-haired teen lying curled up on the ground, apparently only half conscious, his face twisted in pain. But this particular sight was probably the most normal of the lot.

The third strange thing would have been the fog. There was no fog anywhere else, and it was the middle of a sunny day. Yet there was a definite whiteness in the air that was growing thicker by the second. And in the heart of that whiteness were the shadows of two men. The farther one was the man with the silver hair and killer eyes, though neither of these features were now visible. The other figure was leaner, and it appeared to be standing over the boy on the ground. A white cape fluttered in the fog, making the newcomer blend in.

"You."

"Me," the newcomer agreed. "You're in my territory right now. I'm sure you're aware of what that means."

There was a grunt. "I don't need you to tell me that."

"In that case, I'm sure you can see yourselves out. Oh, and take your little pup with you while you're at it."

There was a moment of silence. "Celebrate while you can. We'll deal with your lot soon enough."

By now, the wolves had broken apart and were circling each other, lips pulled back to bare their teeth and growls rumbling low in their throats. But as though at some unspoken signal, the stocky one turned and loped up the alley. It vanished into the fog. For the briefest of instances, there were three shadows in the whiteness. Then there was only one. Then the fog too faded, leaving behind only a young man dressed in casual clothes. Oddly enough, there was no sign of a cape anywhere.

"Whew," the stranger remarked, apparently to the pair of wolves still in the alley. "That was a little too close. Our new friend here seems to have some dreadful timing. We better get him somewhere less public quickly if we don't want anyone to see the change."

Another minute and the alley was completely deserted.

 **-TBC-**

* * *

 **Note** : I was originally going to stick this in my Different Suns collection, but I decided not to because it felt too different. Thanks for reading. ^_^


	2. The Beginning: Halfling

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

* * *

 **A Phantom's Carnival**

 **The Beginning: Halfling**

Shinichi woke like someone rising from deep under the surface of a pool. It was as though there was an invisible weight all around him, pulling him down, but at the same time there was a force buoying him upward. And as he rose, slow but sure, the world grew brighter and more defined. Then, like the surface breaking over his head, it all came rushing in. Sight. Sound. Smell. Touch.

He was lying on something soft. It wasn't his bed though. It felt and smelled different. And his bedroom was never this noisy in the morning.

Er, correction. Noisy mornings in his bedroom were much louder because they were full of explosions from the house of his next door neighbor. The old inventor who lived there regularly blew up various portions of his home. On those mornings when there were no explosions, however, his neighborhood tended to be pretty quiet.

Wherever he was now was different. It wasn't loud, but he could definitely hear a sort of muted roar somewhere in the distance. It made him think of the soccer field during a game. It was the roar of an excited crowd. Odd. Maybe it was coming from a TV? He couldn't think of anywhere he might have fallen asleep that would be near a crowd after all.

Strange. He should be more unsettled. Shouldn't he? And yet he felt oddly comfortable despite having no idea where he was or how he had gotten here.

Shifting, he pried open eyelids that felt like they were being weighed down by lead weights. Above him was a plain ceiling. He turned his head to take in his surroundings. He was lying on something that wasn't so much a bed as a cot. The room itself was pretty bare but clean. The orange light slanting through the slats over the windows was the rich orange of late afternoon. A single door stood in the wall to his right.

He didn't recognize this place, he thought, still in that distant, detached manner in which all his thoughts seemed to be coming right now.

Thinking that he ought to get up and figure out where exactly he was, Shinichi levered himself up—or rather, he tried to. He didn't get far before he slipped and flopped back onto his stomach. Something didn't feel right. His arms and legs weren't moving the way he wanted them to.

Confused and beginning to feel the first twinges of distress, he looked around at himself.

And stopped.

There was something large and furry on the cot with him. He tensed. The furry something moved. Something long and snaky rose. It took Shinichi a moment to identify the thing as a tail. He stared at it in surprise. It stilled.

He simply stared hard at the furry whatever it was for a long moment, waiting. Eventually, however, his curiosity got the better of him, and he reached out to poke at the thing. To his astonishment, a large, furry paw appeared in his field of vision. He froze, and the paw stopped moving.

A sudden sense of forboding descended upon him. No way.

He moved his hand again, dreading what would happen. His worst fears were confirmed as the paw moved again. Only now he knew it wasn't just any paw. It was _his_ paw.

It took one long, endless second for the horror to sink in. Then he let out a yelp that emerged from his throat as a sort of yowl and bolted off the bed. Suddenly it became very important to get out of here—to get away. More than anything right now, he wanted to wake up in his own bed and find that this was all some really, really strange dream.

But he didn't. Instead, he fell off the cot, still not quite accustomed to the new way his limbs were arranged and moved. He hit the ground with a loud thud and a cry of pain. Instantly, there was a noise from the other side of the closed door. A moment later, it flew open, and in came a young man whom Shinichi was sure he had never seen before in his life.

Was this the guy who had done this to him?

Shinichi stared up at the stranger, wide-eyed.

The stranger, for his part, glanced around the room first as though he expected someone to attack him. When he saw no assailants waiting in the wings, he shut the door behind himself and turned his gaze on Shinichi. To the formerly human teen's annoyance, the guy laughed.

"It _is_ pretty startling when it happens," the guy said conversationally, still grinning. "But don't worry. If you work hard, you should be human again in no time. You didn't hurt yourself there, did you?" As he talked, he moved towards Shinichi.

As the guy drew closer, Shinichi scrambled to back away. Unfortunately, with the cot right behind him and a wall adjacent to that, he soon found himself backed into a corner.

The stranger paused then crouched so that he would be closer to Shinichi's eye level. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said, tone soothing. "I'm here to help."

"What's happened to me?" Shinichi asked—or tried to. The words emerged from his mouth in distinctly inhuman noises.

"Here." Whether he had actually understood or just guessed at what Shinichi was trying to say, the stranger produced a small hand mirror with a flick of his wrist. He held it out in front of Shinichi.

Blue eyes widened. The face looking back at him was covered with dark fur. In fact, it was most definitely the face of some cat. Mind reeling, Shinichi tore his gaze from his reflection to stare at the stranger.

"It's not a trick," the young man said, vanishing the mirror just as quickly as he'd made it appear. "Do ou remember coming to the amusement park?"

Shinichi nodded numbly, too stunned and horrified to do much else.

"Do you remember feeling sick? Dizzy? Perhaps a bit feverish and nauseated as well?"

He nodded again.

"What you were feeling was the precursor to what we call the Waking." The stranger shifted so that he was sitting on the floor. It looked like he was preparing to be here for a while. "For Halflings like us, that's when we first take on our non-human forms. Think about it like a coming of age. But I guess what you want to know right now is how to change back."

Shinichi would have rolled his eyes if he weren't still trying to wrap his mind around all the weirdness spewing from the stranger's mouth. This had to be some kind of crazy dream. The way this guy talked about it, it was normal to suddenly find yourself walking around on four paws! There was no way this could be real. Shinichi took comfort in that thought. If this was all a dream then he could go along with it. Just let it happen, and then he could wake up and go back to his normal, everyday life.

Mind made up, he sat down and waited for the stranger to continue.

"It's actually quite simple," the stranger said. "You just have to imagine yourself turning back into a human. It's usually easier to pick a particular aspect and focus on it. A hand, for instance. Or a paw, if you're going from the animal to the human. Picture your paw then see it changing into a human hand—your hand. Remember what it felt like to have fingers—how they moved and what they felt. Once you can do that, you expand your mental image to encompass the whole of your body. Keep in mind though, it won't work if your image is too static. You have to shift it smoothly from one image to the next. Go on, try it."

Figuring that he had nothing to lose, Shinichi decided to do as the stranger had bidden. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine having hands again. Remembering belatedly that the guy had said you couldn't skip straight to the hand, he changed the image in his head to a paw. That was when he realized that he still hadn't really taken a good look at himself. Grudgingly, he opened his eyes and looked down at his, for lack of a better word, forepaws. He stared at them, trying to picture them becoming hands.

Ten minutes later, there was still no change.

"It's okay," the stranger said encouragingly. "It takes most people a while to get it. Remember, you have to expand your mental image to incorporate your whole body if ou want it to work. It's just helpful when you first begin to have a focal point."

Could this guy read his mind? He always seemed to answer the questions Shinichi thought just as he thought them.

Further attempts to return to humanity, however, were interrupted by a quick, sharp rap at the door. Then it opened and in walked a young woman with strawberry blond hair that fell to her shoulders and a pair of sharp, intelligent eyes. She shut the door behind herself before setting her eyes on the pair in the room.

"It's almost time for you to perform, Kuroba," she said, addressing the strange young man.

"Ah, thanks Shiho." The young man—Kuroba—hopped lightly to his feet. "I assume you'll want to examine our guest."

"That is my job," the girl said blandly.

"Good. While you're at it, see if you can help him settle in. He still seems awfully uncomfortable. Oh, and he's having some trouble shifting. He may need a few tips on that too." Instructions given, the young man vanished.

Literally.

One moment he was there, the next, he was gone. And Shinichi hadn't seen the door open. He stared at the spot where Kuroba had been. Was there a trap door or something? But the floor looked solid.

Shiho snorted. "Show off." Then she turned to Shinichi. She studied him for a long moment, expression a perfect blank. Shinichi tried not to shudder. This girl had one penetrating stare. It frankly gave him the creeps. He was relieved when she finally turned away to set her bag on the bed.

It was a medical bag, Shinichi noted. Then again, Kuroba had said something about an examination. Was this girl some kind of doctor? But she couldn't have been more than a year or two older than Shinichi himself. Then again, a teenage doctor was the most normal of the many strange things he'd seen and heard so far. So he sat quietly as the young woman introduced herself as Miyano Shiho then proceeded to examined him (rather like a vet examining a new patient).

"Well, you appear to be healthy," she noted when she straightened from her work. Pulling a small laptop from her bag, she sat down on the bed and turned on the machine. "Your designation will be Gama Two Zero One for now," she muttered to herself as she began to type. Shinichi couldn't help but notice that the 'designation' sounded like the label you'd give some kind of laboratory test subject. "Interesting that we should find another black feline, though from the looks of you, you appear to be a leopard rather than a jaguar. That makes four felines here now, with one from each of the four big cats. Perhaps this is some kind of sign…" She went on muttering to herself for a while before apparently remembering that Shinichi was still there and raising her gaze from her screen to fix him with her piercing stare. "I would recommend you walk around. Get accustomed to your new shape. You won't be able to shift until you know what it feels like to be in this form just as well as you know what it feels like to be human."

Oh. Well, he supposed there was a certain kind of sense to that. Shinichi heaved a mental sigh and rose to his feet—all four of them. Ugh, when was he going to wake up?

-0-

Mouri Ran stood in the thinning crowds in the amusement park and frowned. She had gone ahead as Shinichi had said and found a seat in the massive tent that had been set up in the park's largest plaza. She had expected Shinichi to join her, but he hadn't. She had been annoyed but figured that her friend had probably gotten lost in the masses and found himself a seat elsewhere. When the show began, she forgot all about him.

It had been incredible—even moreso than she had expected. The show had included everything from performing animals to unbelievable acrobatic feats. But the most amazing of the lot had been the young man who had jumped down from the darkness of the upper reaches of the tent (he must have dropped more than thirty feet!) to land unharmed in the center of the stage. Yet, amazing as his entry onto the stage had been, it had been nothing compared to the magic—it had to be magic—he had worked after that. She still couldn't believe half the things she thought she'd seen. He'd summoned fire, turned flowers into birds, and even walked through walls! And all on a stage that was surrounded on all sides by audience members. She could have sworn that Shinichi had told her once that that was something stage magicians avoided. Yet the awe in the audience during the man's show had been universal.

It must have been real. She was sure of it! Although she suspected that she would soon be listening to Shinichi pull each and every 'trick' apart. The boy was just so obsessed with mysteries.

But Ran had waited by the tent's exit—and waited, and waited, and waited until even the tent itself was being collapsed and taken away. The performance troupe members were now cleaning up the last of their things and heading into the administrative building on the side of the plaza that the park had given to them for the duration of their stay.

And Ran still hadn't seen hide or hair of Shinichi.

Her earlier irritation had long since given way to worry. Shinichi could get distracted quite easily by anything remotely mystery-esque, but it wasn't like him to be gone for quite this long without a word when he was only supposed to be using the restroom.

"Excuse me."

Startled, Ran turned and did a double take. For a moment she thought she was looking at Shinichi, but then her worry-clouded thoughts cleared a bit, and she realized that this boy wasn't her friend. He did look quite a lot like Shinichi, but he was a bit taller and his hair was a whole lot wilder. His eyes were darker too. There was also a subtle difference in his features—a sharper kind of edge that Shinichi's face didn't have.

Remembering belatedly that he had spoken to her, she answered. "Yes? Can I help you?"

The stranger's lips quirked into a wry grin. "No, but I think I can help you."

She stared at him. "What?"

"I ran into a friend of yours—Shinichi, I believe his name was. He told me to tell you that he was sorry about running off on you, but something urgent came up. You should go ahead and go home."

"Oh." Ran blinked before her annoyance flared up again full force. "That idiot! Why didn't he just call me? See if I ever worry about him again!"

The stranger coughed lightly, though he looked amused. "Well, Miss, I think he would have called if he could, but he knew you were watching a show."

Ran snorted but let the issue go. It was true that she probably wouldn't have heard her phone ring. "Um, thank you for delivering the message."

"It was no problem."

Ran nodded and smiled at the stranger before taking her leave. Next time she saw Shinichi, she was going to give him a piece of her mind.

* * *

 **-TBC-**


	3. The Beginning: Revelations

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

* * *

 **A Phantom's Carnival**

 **The Beginning: Revelations**

If anyone had asked him, which no one did, Shinichi could have said that it was much easier to get accustomed to his new shape than he had expected. If anything, it was ridiculously easy—as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Then again, dreams were like that, right?

"Ready to give it another try?"

Looking around at the slightly bored voice, he found Shiho watching him from over the top of her laptop screen. She seemed to think he was ready because she shut the little machine and slid it back into her bag. Then she stood and gestured to him to move to the middle of the floor.

Shinichi did so, beginning to feel his earlier apprehension again. What if it didn't work? What if he was stuck like this? What would happen to him then? He couldn't go home like this after all.

"Go on," the girl prompted.

Taking a deep breath, Shinichi looked down at his paws again. Fixing the image of them in his mind, he closed his eyes and concentrated.

He couldn't describe what happened next. All he could say was that something had shifted with a jerk that wasn't exactly a jerk. His eyes flew open. A pair of human hands greeted his gaze. Pale hands with slender fingers that he recognized as his own. They were flat on the wooden floor, fingers splayed.

He blinked and let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Not bad," Shiho's voice said, reminding Shinichi that he wasn't alone. "But you're not quite there yet."

Shinichi looked up at her, confused. "What?" His voice came out a bit whispery like he hadn't used it for a long time. His throat was dry, and he realized that he was terribly thirsty. And hungry too.

The blond woman looked down at him with an amused look in her eyes. "Don't worry. Tails are always difficult for some reason."

At the word 'tail', Shinichi's head jerked around. And there, indeed, was the—his—tail. His disappointment at finding the tail was still there, however, was eclipsed by another much more urgent realization.

He was naked.

This probably should not have been surprising. He had, all considered, been a large cat just a moment ago. Cats had fur coats. They didn't need clothes. So it only made sense that he wouldn't have any when he became a human again.

The fact that it was logical did not make it any less mortifying.

With a yelp and a blush that could have rivaled the reddest of sunsets, he grabbed the blanket on the cot and yanked it off. He wrapped the cloth around himself like a cocoon. He made sure all the edges were properly tucked to preserve his modesty (what was left of it to preserve anyway) then turned back to Shiho to find the girl's lips twitching.

He did his best to appear dignified despite his situation. "Excuse me," he said a bit stiffly, not quite able to look the woman in the face, "But where are my clothes?"

"In the wash," Shiho replied, unperturbed. "Kuroba took them off for you when he brought you in."

There was a beat of silence as Shinichi processed this information. Then he blanched. " _What_?"

As though summoned by his name, the man with the indigo eyes opened the door at that moment and walked in.

"Oh good," he said when he spotted Shinichi, ignoring the horrified gaze said boy was aiming his way. "You're bipedal again. That's a good start. Still need to work on the eyes though. But anyhow, now that you can talk, how about introducing yourself? My name is Kuroba Kaito, by the way. But just call me Kaito."

"Kudo Shinichi," Shinichi said a bit stiffly. "I would like to have my clothes back so I can go home, please."

"You aren't going home."

Shinichi stared at the indigo-eyed man. "What?"

"I said, you're not going home," Kaito repeated, apparently unperturbed by Shinichi's incredulous stare. "As for clothes, you can wear these." Kaito flicked his wrist, pulling a small pile of clothes out of thin air which he held out to Shinichi with a charming smile.

Shinichi drew himself up in indignation, not reaching for the clothes. "You can't keep me here."

Kaito arched an eyebrow at him, looking far too amused. "I can, but that's not the point. If you go back now, you'll be putting your friends and family in danger. Is that what you want?" He placed the fresh clothes on the corner of the cot.

"What are you talking about?" Sitting down beside the clothes, Shinichi crossed his arms beneath the blanket cocooning him and frowned at the master of the Full Moon Troupe. "What danger?"

"Oh come now, just think about it. Have you ever seen a Halfling before now?"

Shinichi's frown deepened. He'd wondered a little about that in the moments he'd allowed himself to think that this wasn't all some kind of trick or dream. But if an animal you passed on the street was actually a human who had turned into an animal, how would you tell? "I wouldn't know. Though I…guess I've never heard any provable stories about—about were-creatures."

"Not were-creatures, Halflings," Kaito corrected. "We aren't forced to change at certain times, and we certainly don't change others by biting them."

"Well I don't remember _asking_ to turn into a cat."

Kaito waved a hand dismissively. "That's different. As I told you before, that was the Awakening. But back to what we were saying. What do you think would happen if you went home with a tail and cat eyes? Do you really think your life would continue on as normal?"

Shinichi opened his mouth then shut it again. Loathed as he was to admit it, the guy had a point.

"So you're saying that I can't go home until I can make myself look completely human again."

Kaito laughed. "Good guess, but no. That was just the first reason."

Shinichi decided that this man had a really obnoxious grin. He glared. "So why else wouldn't I be able to go back?"

"Surely you remember the man who confronted you before you passed out."

Shinichi bit back a sigh. Couldn't the guy just say what he meant? Did he have to talk in circles like this? The situation was frustrating enough without all this—this taunting!

"The man in black with the silver hair?"

"That's the one."

"So what about him?"

"Let's just say that his lot wouldn't be half as accommodating as we're being if they'd gotten to you first."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"What he means," Shiho's calm voice cut in, "is that, if the Black Order had been the ones to pick you up, you would be facing either a life of servitude or a life as a lab specimen depending on how useful they decided you were. And if you're thinking they wouldn't be able to find you if you could retain your human appearance at all times, you would be deluding yourself. They have many members who have the power to find other Halflings just as we do. So stop complaining and be thankful that we came for you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." That said, she left the room without a backward glance.

Shinichi gaped at the closed door, mildly stunned not so much by the girl's words as the way she had said them.

Kaito coughed lightly. "Don't mind Shiho. She has a bit of a history with our _friends in black_. What she meant to say is that you have a lot to learn."

Shinichi wasn't so sure that that was what Shiho had meant to say, but he kept quiet.

"Don't worry though," Kaito continued. "We'll teach you everything you need to know, including how to protect yourself."

Shinichi asked dully. "And why would you do that?"

"Because it would be far more trouble for us if you couldn't."

"I see." Shinichi's gaze dropped to the thin blanket over his knees. He felt drained, like all the energy in his body had just rushed out of him. He wished again that he would just wake up, but he was starting to get the sneaking suspicion that this really might not be a dream. And if that were true then this was all real, and there would be no waking up. His head was spinning with questions. Yet every answer he had found so far had just led to even more questions.

He felt like he'd walked into another reality entirely.

It was not a comforting thought.

He started in surprise as a hand ruffled his hair. Jerking his head away from the uninvited touch, he looked up to find Kaito grinning down at him. "Cheer up. It isn't the end of the world, you know. Think about this as an adventure. Now why don't you go ahead and put those clothes on? Or do you like wearing nothing but a blanket? I must admit, I am growing quite partial to the sight."

Shinichi looked at him blankly before it clicked. He had completely forgotten what he was wearing—or rather what he was not wearing. And had Kaito just said what he thought he'd said?! A bright flush spread across Shinichi's face.

"You—you—!"

"Yes?"

"Ack! Get out!"

* * *

 **-TBC-**


	4. New Home, New Name

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

* * *

 **A Phantom's Carnival**

 **New Home, New Name**

"And this," Kaito announced, lifting a hand from the steering wheel to give a grandiose wave towards the windshield, "is home."

Shinichi couldn't help but stare out the window as the car rolled up the driveway.

Ahead of them, a mansion rose skyward. Rows of windows glittered in its elegant face. Standing in the heart of what was starting to look to Shinichi like a sprawling, natural park, it truly was an impressive building. In fact, as they drew closer, Shinichi realized that it wasn't one building but a whole collection of buildings, though the rest weren't quite as massive as the central one.

"A whole town of people could live here," he murmured, more to himself than to Kaito.

The magician heard anyway and laughed. "Just about. My dad started building this place when Halflings first started appearing. He built it as a sanctuary. As long as you stay on the grounds, you won't have to worry about being seen looking inhuman."

Shinichi nodded slowly.

The car rounded a long, curving corner then descended into an underground parking area. Kaito turned off the engine and turned to Shinichi with a cheery grin. "Come on, I'll give you a tour."

Shinichi climbed slowly out of the car. Over the past few days, he had gotten more accustomed to his new…features, and he could shift much more easily now. But, no matter what he tried, he still couldn't yet take on a completely human form. It was always the tail or the ears left (perhaps because they were extremities that humans either didn't have or weren't accustomed to having any control over?). It was terribly frustrating, but everyone assured him that he would get the hang of transformation eventually.

"First up, we've got the main house," Kaito announced, waving a hand up at the largest of the buildings. "I'll show you the inside later. Since you're new, you'll be getting a room here until further notice. Now, if you'll follow me this way, you'll see that we have an awesome swimming pool. Stay away from the waterfalls if you're not a strong swimmer. The currents around them can be pretty rough. I'm thinking about having some slides installed, but I haven't made up my mind yet. Past the picnic tables and the lawn here, we have some fruit trees and our very own vegetable garden. That side there is the rose garden—well, I say rose garden, but it's got a lot more than just roses in it. If you need to take an easy walk or just want some peace and quiet outdoors, it's a great place to go. If you're looking for something more vigorous, keep going and you'll see the mouths of a couple different trails. I had some signs put up. You can't miss them. If you do decide to go hiking, remember not to go beyond the boundaries of the estate. There are signs for that too, though you should be able to sense where the boundaries are on your own eventually. Any questions so far?"

Shinichi shook his head then hesitated. "You said we wouldn't be seen as inhuman as long as we stay on the grounds. But what about passersby? Or air traffic?"

"Anyone who isn't a member of the troupe who looks in from outside won't notice the less human features of anyone inside. If they cross into the estate, things will be different. But we have precautions set up against intruders."

"But…how?"

"It'll be easier to explain it all to you once you get more used to the way things work. For now, just think about it as a magic spell cast by our very own fortuneteller. I do believe you've met her."

Shinichi gave him a deadpan look. "A magic spell."

"It might as well be." Kaito laughed at the look on the detective's face. "Like I said, it'll make more sense in the future. For now, just concentrate on mastering your shifting. It won't help to be distracted by other things until you can change shape fully."

In Shinichi's opinion, not knowing was much more distracting than getting a lot of new information, but he supposed he could wait. More than anything else right now, he too wanted to master his shifting if for no bigger reason than to be able to step back out in public again.

"Well then, let's continue the tour."

-0-

"And last but not least, this will be your room." Kaito threw out his arms as though presenting something spectacular to an awestruck audience.

Shinichi looked around the room. He had to admit that it was a very nice room: spacious, bright, clean and well-furnished. It had its own bathroom as well as a large window overlooking the rose garden complete with a deep, padded sill perfect for sitting and reading on. It was beautiful and no doubt comfortable, but…it wasn't home.

"Why don't you take a few minutes to settle in?" Kaito suggested, perhaps sensing some of Shinichi's depressed mood. "Meet me at the theater in an hour."

Once he'd gone, Shinichi moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Yet he stood up again almost immediately and paced around the room. Pausing by the closet, he opened it and stared at the selection of clothes already inside. He wasn't surprised to see them, though none of them were actually his. Some of the Troupe members had gotten them for him on the trip to the estate. After all, he couldn't go home to get his own.

He shut the closet door and went to stand before the window, looking out at the garden below.

Everyone in the Full Moon Performance Troupe had been nothing but kind to him. And he was really grateful for that. This whole situation would have been so much worse than it already was without these people. They had gone out of their way to help him understand what was going on.

But…

To be suddenly ripped from his life and told he couldn't go back…

His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

He understood their reasoning, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He just…wished none of this had ever happened. He was still hoping he'd wake up, but so far, no luck.

Heaving a sigh, he turned away from the window and its pristine view of the garden. There was no use complaining about it, was there? The best thing he could do now was focus on getting back to a fully human appearance. He could figure everything else out after that.

Seeing that he still had some time, he decided to do a closer examination of the room. It was as he was passing by the bookcase in the corner that he did a double take. There, sitting all together on one shelf, was the entire Sherlock Holmes series, novels and short stories alike. A white card sat propped against the spines.

"I remember you said these were your favorite. Consider this a housewarming present," it read. It was accompanied by the initials K.K. and a little caricature doodle.

Shinichi reread the note then looked at the books again, a warm feeling rising in his chest. His throat suddenly felt just a little bit tight.

-0-

The theater was a large building near the back of the complex that housed a large stage as well as a performance arena. It was the arena room that a person walked into when they first entered the building through the front doors.

Here, a large, circular piece of open space was ringed by theater seats for perspective audience members. The arena itself had low walls all around it for safety, but it also had several tall poles that served as supports for multiple contraptions in the air above. There were trapeze swings and uneven bars and even a very, very tall diving board. There were hoops and platforms that could be raised and lowered, and dozens of other props and tricks.

Shinichi gazed upon the setup with no little amazement. He was so busy marveling at the sight that it took him a moment to realize that Kaito wasn't the only person waiting on the arena floor.

Standing beside the magician was the redheaded fortuneteller from the carnival. Though Shinichi had known that she was a member of the troupe, this was the first time he'd seen her since that strange encounter in Tropical Land. It was the other girl standing with them that really shocked him though. This other girl looked remarkably like Ran. It wasn't her, he was pretty sure of that, but the resemblance was uncanny anyway. Kind of like the resemblance between him and Kaito, he supposed. But it was much stranger for him to see someone who looked like Ran than someone who looked like himself (perhaps because he couldn't actually see himself on a regular basis? He could easily forget that Kaito looked like him, especially since the magician's behavior was nothing like his own).

"Let me introduce you," Kaito said as Shinichi approached. "Ladies, this is Kudo Shinichi, our newest member. Shinichi, I believe you've already met Koizumi Akako here. She was the one who helped us locate you."

The redhead nodded, her lips curling again into that secretive and ever so slightly creepy smile Shinichi remembered from the amusement park. He smiled a bit warily back and suppressed the urge to back away.

"And this is Nakamori Aoko," Kaito continued, gesturing to the Ran lookalike. "She keeps track of all our personnel: our schedules, assignments, etc. It's also her job to get us our gigs. Today, we'll be testing your abilities. Then we can decide which act you'll participate in."

Shinichi blinked. "Act? Like perform?"

"Of course. Since you'll be living here, it's only fair you participate in the work, yes?"

"I know that," Shinichi said, slightly offended. "But can't I do something that doesn't involve performing?"

"We do set up booths like Akako here's fortunetelling booth at the carnivals, but you can't do that until you can look human. Unless you want to help run the cosplay photo booth," he added as an afterthought. "Though, to do that, you have to be able to stop yourself from twitching any inhuman extremities." He looked pointedly at the tail waving idly behind Shinichi. "Which I see you're still having trouble with."

The detective blushed. He still had very little control over what his tail or ears did, and he knew it.

Aoko smacked Kaito on the shoulder. "Stop teasing him, Bakaito! Awakening is hard enough without getting teased." She turned back to Shinichi with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about him. Anyway, there's really nothing to be nervous about. I know getting on stage can be scary at first, but you'll get used to it. And you won't be alone. We'll all be there with you. By the way, you're a detective, right?"

Shinichi blinked again at the sudden topic change then nodded.

Aoko beamed. "I thought so! I knew I'd seen your name before. My dad's a police officer, you see. He doesn't work homicide, but he has an old friend who does that I think you know. I think his name was Megure-keibu."

Shinichi nodded and would have said something, but Aoko beat him to it again.

"Oh, I almost forgot." She turned to Kaito. "Did he pick a stage name yet? I'll need to add him to our records and programs."

"No, he hasn't."

"Stage name?" Shinichi asked, finally managing to get a word in edgewise.

"Unless you wish to use your real name," Akako murmured, ruby eyes agleam. "However, I would highly recommend that you don't."

Shinichi grimaced. "I understand."

"Well then?" Kaito prompted. "What would you like to be called?"

Shinichi shifted a bit uncomfortably where he stood as all three of the others watched him expectantly. He cast about quickly but came up with a blank. The only thing that popped into his head was the image of those books Kaito had given him sitting on his shelf.

"Uh, maybe C—Conan?" he stammered. He turned red as they all continued to stare at him.

Then Kaito let out a burst of laughter. "All right then. Your stage name will be Conan."

* * *

 **-End of Chapter-**


	5. Phone Calls

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

* * *

 **A Phantom's Carnival**

 **Phone Calls**

Ran sighed as she rinsed the last dish from dinner and put it on the rack to dry. Her thoughts were preocupied with worries about a certain friend who had mysteriously gone missing.

At first, she hadn't thought much of it. Shinichi was the kind of person who forgot everything else when he had a puzzle to solve. If he really had run off on some case then it was no surprise that she hadn't heard from him. It was exasperating, but that was just Shinichi for you. However, when Monday came and Shinichi didn't show up at school, she began to worry.

It had been almost a week now. She was starting to wonder if she should report his disappearance to the police.

The phone rang.

Drying her hands on a towel, she picked up the reciever.

"This is the Mouri Detective Agency," she said, only half paying attention.

"Ran? It's me."

The brunette nearly dropped the phone. "Shinichi! Where have you been?! You've missed school for an entire week!"

"Er, yeah, sorry about that. I…haven't been feeling well."

Ran's eyebrows drew together. "But I went to your house, and you weren' there." Her irritation morphed abruptly into worry. "You're not in the hospital, are you? But I thought you were working on a case. You didn't get yourself hurt, did you?"

"What? No! No. It's nothing like that," he said hastily. "Really. I'm not at home because I'm staying over at a friend's house."

Ran's eyebrows rose. "A friend's house? Whose?" As far as she was aware, Shinichi's only close friends were her, Professor Agasa, and Sonoko (although both Shinichi and Sonoko would probably deny this. They were weird like that).

"Uh, well, more of a family friend," Shinichi invented. "I don't know them very well myself, but my parents do. I ran into them the other day when I was leaving Tropical Land. Since they saw I wasn't feeling well, they invited me over. And since I got a request to help out with a case near where they live, I decided I'd stay for a bit."

"Well, okay," Ran said, not entirely convinced. But Shinichi didn't have any reason to lie about it, so she supposed she should just go with it for now. "When will you be coming back?"

A pause. "I don't really know. The case turned out to be more complicated than I expected. It may take some time."

"Oh. You should call the school then."

"Right. I almost forgot about that. Thanks for the reminder."

"And call Professor Agasa too. I went to see him the other day, and he was pretty worried too."

"I will."

A slightly awkward silence fell between them. Ran jumped when her father suddenly leapt up from the couch, waving his arms about wildly and cheering for Yoko.

On the other end of the line, Shinichi let out a startled laugh. Ran joined in a moment later.

"I still have homework to finish," she said. "Take care of yourself."

"You too."

She hummed an agreement. "We should go to the carnival again when you get back. It was a real shame you missed the show. It was amazing."

"Uh, r—right…"

-0-

"Professor Agasa?"

"Shinichi! Where are you? When Ran said you were missing, I—"

"Professor, I'm okay."

"That's good then." The professor's usual, jovial tones returned. "When you get back, there are a few prototypes I want to get your opinion on. I think some of them have real potential, but I ran into a few small problems, and I—"

"Professor," Shinichi cut in again, though he was smiling on his end of the phone. The old inventor would never change. "I'm sorry, I can't talk a lot right now. And I may not be back for a while."

"What? Are you in trouble?"

"Not…exactly. It's complicated. I'll tell you more about it when I can. I just wanted to ask if you could keep an eye on my mail and things while I'm gone."

"Of course. If you'd like, I can have your calls routed to my place as well."

"Really? That'd be great. Thanks Professor."

"No problem."

-0-

Shinichi sighed. Just one more call to go. But it was the one he'd been dreading.

Well, better get it over with.

"Hello?"

"Mom? It's me."

There was a loud squeal that made Shinichi wince. "Shin-chan! Oh, it's been ages since we talked! How are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm just calling to let you know that I'll be staying with a friend for the time being."

"Oh?" His mother sounded interested. "What kind of friend?"

Shinichi's brows furrowed. What kinds of friends were there? Friends were just that. "His name is Kuroba Kaito. He—"

"You're staying with Toichi-sensei's son?!" the woman exclaimed so loudly that Shinichi had to pull the phone away from his ear to avoid being deafened. Then her words registered and he blinked.

"What? Sensei?"

"Kuroba Toichi," his mother elaborated, excitement clear in her voice. "He was my disguise instructor. Wonderful man. Brilliant. Very charming, and quite handsome too." She giggled, sounding creepily like Sonoko for a moment. Then she sobered. "I still remember that accident he had. It was terrible. How's Kaito-kun doing? I'd heard he took over running his father's performance troupe."

"He's…good, I guess. I didn't realize you knew him."

"Well, I only met Kaito-kun the once. How did you two meet?"

"I ran into him at Tropical Land. The Full Moon Performance troupe was there for a show. I ran into some weirdoes, and he helped me out." That was pretty much entirely true. Shinichi would prefer not to lie to his mother if he could help it.

Yukiko laughed. "A gentleman then, I see. Just like his father."

Shinichi made a noncomittal noise in his throat. "By the way, Mom, have you ever heard the term 'Halfling' before?"

"Halfling?" His mother's voice sounded genuinely baffled. "No, I don't think so. Why?"

"It came up in a case I'm looking into," he hedged.

"Would you like me to ask your father about it?"

"No," Shinichi said quickly. "It's not all that important. I was just curious if you'd heard the term because you said you knew Kuroba Toichi."

"Toichi-sensei?" she said, surprised. "Is his family involved in this case you're working on?"

Oops. His mother was always sharpest when he least wanted her to be. "Kaito-san's just helping me with it."

There was a long pause on the other end of the lline.

"Mom, is there something you want to say?" Shinichi prodded. It wasn't like his mother to go all quiet.

"It's probably nothing."

"Mom."

"Okay, okay. It's just that, well… Back when Toichi-sensei met his accident, Yuusaku told me that… Well, he didn't think it was an accident. He investigated it, but he never did find any proof or any leads on who might have wanted Toichi-sensei dead. I mean, everyone loved him. So either your father was wrong or…"

"Or the culprits are really skilled," Shinichi finished. And he could tell from his mother's tone that she didn't believe her husband was wrong. Loathed as he was to admit it, Shinichi had to agree with her. His father wouldn't make claims like that without good reason.

His thoughts flashed back to a pair of men in black, and he felt his insides go cold.

"Thanks for telling me, Mom."

"Is that the case you're working on?"

"I don't think so," he said hesitantly. Though he planned to.

"Well, just be careful."

"I will."

"Promise?"

He smiled a little. "Yes, Mom. I promise."

* * *

 **-End of Chapter-**


	6. Venturing Out Part 1

**A Phantom's Carnival**

 **Venturing Out Part 1**

He was ready.

Shinichi ran his hands through his hair. No furry triangles anywhere. Next, he craned his neck to look behind himself. No tail. Lastly, he leaned in close to the full-length mirror in the corner of his room and squinted at his eyes.

He grinned.

He had finally managed to banish both his ears and his tail at the same time. The pupils of his eyes were slightly too slit-like to be entirely normal, but only a really close examination would reveal that.

So Shinichi pulled a baseball cap down over his head, donned a nondescript, gray coat, and snuck out of the Kuroba Estate just before dawn.

He felt a little guilty about leaving without telling anyone, but he knew that if he'd said something then they would have stopped him. Besides, it wasn't like he was going to be gone long. He knew he still had a lot to learn. He just needed to go home and make sure everything was in order.

He took the train then the bus, well, several busses, before he finally found himself standing in front of the Kudo Manor. Looking at it, he knew he should feel like he'd come home. And yet… It wasn't that it wasn't home. He still pictured it when someone said the word 'home', but the place he found himself thinking of more and more whenever the word 'home' was spoken was the crazy halls of the Kuroba Estate.

Shaking his head, Shinichi turned and walked up to Professor Agasa's front door.

He rang the doorbell.

There was a moment before the professor's voice drew closer.

"Coming, I'm coming," he was saying as he apparently dragged along something large and clumsy. "Here." He opened the door and looked down.

He blinked.

"You're not here to take my delivery to the invention convention, are you?"'

Shinichi took off his hat and smiled at the astonishment that blossomed on Agasa's face.

"No, Professor. Sorry. I just wanted to come by and make sure everything's been okay without me."

"Shinichi-kun! I'm so glad to see you! Come in, come in." Laughing, the old man ushered Shinichi into the house, beginning to fill his young friend's ears with the news of all his latest inventions both failed and fruitful. The former rather outnumbered the latter.

It wasn't until they were both inside and seated at the table with cups of tea that Shinichi spoke up.

"Professor, I need to tell you something."

The old man paused in a story about some hot springs dolls he was working on and smiled. "Yes? What is it?"

"It's about why I left. But it's sensitive information, so you have to promise not to tell anyone. And that includes my parents."

"Your parents too?" Now the professor looked surprised. Shinichi wasn't really all that close to his parents, but he didn't usually go out of his way to hide things from them either. "This sounds serious."

"It is. It's…" He paused, sipping at his tea as he tried to find the best way to put it. "Have you heard the word Halfling before?"

"Halfling?" The professor rubbed his chin. "Well, I assume that's something that's half something else."

"…Uh, yeah, but I meant as a…a species, I guess. Or maybe a medical condition."

"No. I can't say I have. Why?"

Shinichi inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. This was going to be a long story. But it had to be told. He trusted Professor Agasa, and he was almost certain that he would need the old professor's help sooner or later as he delved into this case.

Yes, he had decided to treat this entire situation as one big case. It was just easier to handle that way. If he didn't, he had the feeling he would be teetering on the verge of a nervous breakdown with all the weirdness his life had suddenly been plunged into.

So he told Agasa everything. And the old man, being the friendly neighbor he'd always been, listened to it all and believed him.

"I think you should tell your parents," he said when Shinichi was done. "You know they could help you."

"Maybe when there's something I want their help with," he muttered reluctantly. Knowing his parents, they wouldn't find the situation serious at all. They'd probably think it was all fascinating (his father) and great fun (his mother). "But not before that. The last thing I need is Mom coming over to croon over my ears and dress me up and take pictures." He shuddered at the mere thought of the outfits she might want to try out on him now that he could have kitty ears and a tail. Her fantasies were his nightmares.

"So what would you like me to do then?" asked the professor, pouring them each a refill of tea.

"I was hoping you could use your computer skills to find out what you can about Halflings like when they appeared and who knows about them. Anything you can dig up would be great. I'd also like you to help me find information on an organization that calls itself the Black Order. I don't know much about them yet, but I gather they're some kind of criminal syndicate that often uses Halflings. That's about all I know."

"I will do my best," the old man promised, scribbling down a last few notes on Shinichi's request. "Is that all?"

"For now."

"I take it you won't be staying home."

Shinichi sighed. "No. Apparently things will get complicated if I do. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to keep getting my mail."

"It's not a problem. I'll let you know if anything important comes up."

"Thank you, Professor. I don't know what I'd do without you."

The old man laughed. "Since you're here, how about staying for lunch?"

-0-

Shinichi was taking some time to sort through the mail Agasa had kept for him in the back of the house when the doorbell rang. The detective didn't pay it much attention, but, a few minutes later, the old professor poked his head into the room, looking mildly confused.

"There's a girl looking for you. She said she's a friend of yours."

Confused, Shinichi followed Professor Agasa out into the living room. His confusion only grew when he saw the little girl sitting on the couch with a backpack. She had wavy blond hair that fell to her shoulders. And though her face did seem vaguely familiar, he was pretty sure he'd never seen her before.

"You shouldn't have left the estate," she said bluntly the moment the professor had left to make them some tea.

Shinichi blinked. At least he was now certain that she was from the Troupe. But…he hadn't met any young children at the estate. Had he? He was fairly sure he would have remembered.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" he asked finally.

The little girl rolled her eyes. "I conducted your examination. Surely your memory isn't that terrible."

Shinichi gaped. "What? But…"

"It isn't impossible," she said blandly. "There is still a great deal you don't understand. And yet here you are. Are you trying to get us all into trouble?"

"Of course not," Shinichi blurted, stung by the accusation. "I was going to head straight back after I sorted a few things out."

"You really don't understand the situation you're in, do you?"

"What?" Shinichi's confusion was growing by the second. It didn't help that the way Shiho was speaking to him made him feel like he was the child in the room.

"Think, you idiot. If we could find you then so could _they_. If you don't believe me, just look outside. But be discreet about it."

Half worried and half dubious, Shinichi moved to the shuttered windows and parted the blinds ever so slightly in order to peer outside. The first thing he saw was Agasa's yellow buggy. Nothing new there. But then his gaze shifted to the street beyond the front gate, and he saw it.

There was a black car parked on the other side of the street. That in itself wouldn't have been all that odd. Plenty of people had black cars. This one, however, gave Shinichi a distinctly unpleasant vibe. And now that he thought about it, he didn't remember anyone in this neighborhood who would buy a car like that. The one family who liked black cars preferred new cars—the newer the better. The rest preferred colorful cars or white ones.

Letting the blinds shut, Shinichi retreated back to where Shiho was still watching him with that sharp, dispassionate look that made him nervous.

"That car belongs to the men you met at the amusement park," she said shortly. "We need to go. Now. Before they decide to come in."

"If they can track us so easily, won't they just follow us?" he asked, beginning to feel a creeping sense of dread. He might not know those men or their organization well, but he felt instinctively that being caught would be very, very bad. He still remembered the silver-haired man's cold, killer eyes. He shivered.

"They can track you, not me," Shiho corrected. She hopped off the couch. "That is why I am here. We should do this somewhere less open."

"Do what?"

"You'll know shortly."

Five minutes later, the two of them were standing in Professor Agasa's guest bedroom.

"Stand there," the little girl instructed, pointing to a spot roughly in the middle of the room.

Now more confused than ever, Shinichi obeyed. He watched curiously as Shiho cupped her hands together. A small, orange light flared up, and he jumped. It looked like the girl was now cupping a handful of fire. However, when she stepped towards him, he could feel no heat.

Shiho's eyes met his as she held her handful of fire out towards him. The light floated out of her grasp and spread out, wrapping itself around Shinichi before he could react. He let out an involuntary yelp of surprise that turned into a gasp as his world convulsed. A burning sensation started in his chest and spread rapidly to the tips of his fingers and toes. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. The burning sensation escalated, becoming an intense, excruciating pain.

He thought he might have screamed, but he wasn't sure. He wasn't even aware of collapsing. All he could think about was the agony.

Out in the kitchen, Professor Agasa accidentally knocked over the plate of snacks he'd been arranging when he jumped. Had someone just cried out? He listened intently, but there were no further sounds. Deciding it had been his imagination, he began picking up the scattered snacks.

-0-

Groaning, Shinichi opened his eyes. What happened? He felt…strange.

He was lying on the floor. It took him a moment to recognize the place as Agasa's guest room. But what was he doing here? He puzzled over the question for a long moment before, with the abruptness of a bomb going off, the memories came rushing back.

He shot bolt upright. His frantic gaze found Shiho standing just three steps away. Wait. Why was she at eye level? She still looked like she should be in elementary school.

"Good. You're up," she said before he could formulate any questions. "Put these on." Unzipping her backpack, she pulled out a small bundle of clothes and tossed them onto his lap. "Roll up your old clothes, and we'll bring them with us."

That said, she turned and left the room.

Shinichi stared at the closed door then gingerly picked up one of the articles of clothing she had given him. It was a child's white shirt. Huh?

Feeling like a sleepwalker, he stood up and headed for the mirror in the corner of the room. He nearly tripped because his clothes had mysteriously gotten far, far too large. As had all the furniture. And the room.

By the time he reached the mirror, he had reached a conclusion. It was an inexplicably strange conclusion, but it was nevertheless confirmed when he looked into the mirror.

He had turned into a little kid.

For a long moment, he just stood there and stared. The change explained Shiho's own appearance, but in every other regard, it had made the world that much more confusing. Mutations in people were one thing, but the—the power or whatever to make people younger?

Still reeling, he began to change. After all, he didn't want to put Professor Agasa in danger. Best get out of here before asking questions.

* * *

 **-To be Continued-**


	7. Venturing Out Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

* * *

 **The Phantom's Carnival**

 **Venturing Out Part 2**

"We'll be going out the back," Shiho announced when Shinichi emerged from the guest room. She set the teacup she had been holding down on the table and got to her feet.

Professor Agasa followed her gaze and his jaw dropped. "Shinichi? Is that really you?"

Shinichi nodded mutely. His head was still spinning with the impossibility of the whole situation. He had a million questions bouncing around his head. He wasn't even sure where to start. Not that Shiho looked like she was going to give him any answers at the moment.

The little girl moved to peek out the front windows again. The professor edged over to Shinichi while the girl's back was turned to whisper, "How is this possible?"

"I don't know," the detective whispered back. "It doesn't make sense to me either…"

Shiho returned at that moment. "Let's go," she said briskly. "Professor, if anyone comes asking about us, tell them that you were babysitting for a friend. We left for a play date with some friends who live in the street behind your house."

"Oh, um, okay," the old man stammered. "But who are those people?"

"You don't want to know," the girl said darkly. "It's best if you jus forget we were ever here. And you," she added, turning to Shinichi with a pointed stare. "Why are you just standing there? Get your things."

Shinichi found himself hurrying to do as he'd been told before he'd consciously decided to do so. That girl was scary. The fact that she currently looked like she should be attending grade school didn't make her glare any less terrifying.

"I'll be in touch," he said hastily to Professor Agasa as he was ushered out the back door.

"Be careful," the old man said back before the door clicked shut.

-0-

Considering how dangerous Shiho had implied it would be to be found, Shinichi had expected to be taken straight back to the Kuroba estate. Therefore, he was understandably surprised when the girl pulled him into an ice cream shop of all places. She ordered a sundae and sat down at a corner table, gesturing for him to do the same.

"Aren't we going back?" he asked.

"Not yet," the girl said curtly. "We will go hen we get the all clear. _Their_ tracker can't track us while we are in these forms, but that won't help us if we're seen."

"Tracker?" Shinichi echoed.

She sighed. "I suppose you need to know," she said in a manner that suggested she had just been tasked with a bothersome chore. "Listen up. I'm only going to say this once."

The girl paused to sip her tea before continuing. "Different Halflings have different skills. For instance, lupine Halflings have the sharpest senses. They can retain those heightened senses even when fully human. Vulpine Halflings cannot be tracked and have the easiest time learning to shift. They excel at manipulating the shifting process and can partial shift whatever way they like. So on and so forth. The more supernatural abilities, however, appear to be found only in feline Halflings. And even then, only in those who have narrowly avoided death. We call it the Second Life."

"When you say supernatural, what do you mean?" Shinichi asked. All considered, changing into an animal already sounded pretty supernatural to him. But the way Shiho put it, transforming didn't count.

"It varies. Take Koizumi, for example. It is the power of her territory that keeps Halflings concealed while they are on the estate grounds. She is also the one who found you. Her Talent is that of prediction. She predicted that a new Halfling would awaken that day at Tropical Land."

"You're not seriously telling me that she can see the future…"

"Only to a degree. She did not know who the new Halfling would be until she saw you. However, her predictions are never wrong. I would advise that you pay close attention to anything she tells you in the future."

Shinichi sat back in his chair, mind reeling. This all sounded ridiculous, but then again, he would have said the same thing about animal people not all that long ago. But predicting the future?

"So what you did to me just now…"

Shiho nodded. "Was my Talent. I can return a person's body to any point in their life prior to the present. It is not permanent, of course."

Well that was good to know.

"You mentioned something about a territory earlier. Is that something separate from these Talents you talk about?"

"So you noticed. Yes, they are different. Halflings in their Second Life tend to have two powers. The simplest way to think about it is that there are powers that you can use only within your territory and powers you can use anywhere. The latter are the type we refer to as Talents."

"Are they related?"

"Not necessarily. We still do not know very much about these abilities."

"And these territory abilities. How much ground does that cover?"

"It varies for each Halfling, but it is always centered around the place the Halfling considers home. Well, Kuroba's is a little different, but, as far as we know, he is the only exception."

Shinichi mulled this over as he poked at his vanilla ice cream. He felt like every time he thought he was getting closer to understanding this new face of the world, something would pop up to prove that he still knew next to nothing.

There was a chime, and Shiho pulled out her phone. She listened to it for a minute, her face turning pale but her stern expression never wavering.

"Understood," she said finally and hung up. "One of _them_ is outside," she said, turning to Shinichi. "Come with me."

Shinichi didn't argue. He could sense the tension in the air. Rising, he followed the girl to the back of the shop. However, when she opened the door to the women's restroom, he balked.

"Hurry up," she snapped, grabbing his wrist in a vice grip and dragging him bodily inside.

"But I can't—!" he protested to no avail.

Shiho rolled her eyes, clearly exasperated. "Children come in here with their mothers all the time."

"But—"

"Move!" she snarled.

Quailing under her glare, Shinichi lowered his head and obeyed. This girl was, he reflected, not just scary. She was the most frightening person he had ever met.

"Now change," she ordered, pushing him into a stall.

"What?"

"Shift, you fool. Put your clothes in the backpack and leave it. Someone will come for our things later."

Having already given up on arguing, Shinichi quickly undressed, blushing in embarrassment all the while. He couldn't believe he was doing this in a public restroom. Fortunately, shifting into cat form was, strangely, a lot easier than shifting into human form. Soon, he was a small, black kitten blinking at the opening beneath the stall door.

A furry, striped face appeared in his line of sight, making him start. At this size, the other cat looked like, well, a cat just like he did now, but he could tell from the shape of the ears and its body structure that it was actually a very small tiger.

"Let's go."

He stared. His ears had picked up cat noises, but, somehow, he had understood them.

The tiger heaved a very human sigh. "In animal form, we can understand other Halflings also in animal form. Now stop gaping like an idiot and come with me."

Together, they darted out of the restroom just as a woman in high heels came in. She let out a cry of surprise, but by the time she had steadied herself, the two furry blurs were already long gone.

The little tiger and panther darted out of the ice cream parlor's open back door and into the alley out back. Shiho paused for a moment, looking this way and that. Then she turned and trotted deeper into the alley. They rounded several corners before they eventually came to a stop next to a dumpster beside which someone had piled several cardboard boxes.

With a few easy bounds, Shiho made her way to the top of the stack. She peered into the open box at the top then turned to look down at Shinichi. "Come on. We'll wait here."

Shinichi, who had spent most of his time since discovering his Halfling status practicing how to get back to being human and almost no time at all learning how to be a cat, had considerably more trouble climbing the cardboard mound. Eventually, however, he tumbled into the empty box beside Shiho.

"Now what?" he mewed.

Shiho padded once around the perimeter of their hiding place before sitting down. "Now, we wait."

-0-

"Aww, look mom!"

Waking with a start, Shinichi lifted his head and looked around blearily. All he saw at first was brown. Then there was something pale peach descending from the sky.

The striped ball of fur beside him leapt up and away. "Run!"

Mind still muggy from sleep, Shinichi scrambled to follow suit, but he wasn't fast enough. A pair of hands caught him around the middle. The next thing he knew, he was being held against a human body by pair of arms that would have been small had he not currently been tiny.

"Look!" the same voice from before exclaimed again as his captor turned, and Shinichi found himself looking up at a dark-haired woman. "It's a kitten! Isn't it cute?"

The woman crouched down to her daughter's eye level. She smiled at Shinichi, who stared back at her, eyes wide. She smiled. "What a cute kitten." A hand descended to pat Shinichi on the head.

Shinichi mewed and squirmed, trying to escape the child's grasp, but the girl was determined to hang onto her prize. "Mom, can we keep it?"

 _Oh no_ , Shinichi thought and redoubled his efforts to escape.

The mother frowned slightly, and Shinichi's hopes rose. "Keeping a pet is hard work."

"I know, but we can't just leave it here," the girl replied. "He's just a kitten. Please?"

"Do you promise to take good care of it?"

"I will! I promise."

The woman thought for a moment longer before nodding and rising to her feet. "All right. We'll bring it home. But your dad has to agree too."

The little girl cheered and hugged Shinichi even tighter. He mewed in protest, but the girl didn't seem to notice. The next thing he knew, he was being carried away.

Back in the alley, Shiho peered around the dumpster and groaned at the sight. Honestly, that boy was turning out to be way more trouble than anyone else she'd ever met!

 **-TBC-**


	8. Venturing Out Part 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.

* * *

 **A Phantom's Carnival**

 **Venturing Out Part 3**

"Cocoa-chan! Cocoa-chan, where are you?"

The call was followed by the sound of pattering footsteps.

Perched on the windowsill, Shinichi sighed. His tail swished restlessly through the air as he kept his gaze fixed on the sprawling city beyond the window. It was so close yet so far away.

It had been a week since he had been 'adopted', and he had yet to find a way to escape from his new owners. The family was nice enough, consisting of a little girl, Ayumi, and her parents. The child was, unlike many children who promised to care for pets, actually a responsible pet owner, but Shinichi had no intention of remaining as someone's household cat.

The problem was that the entire family was very good about keeping the doors and windows secured against feline escapes. Shinichi had thought at first that he could just wait until the family was out, turn human to open the door, and then leave, but no. There was almost always someone at home. And when he would have to be left alone, the family always made sure to find him a cat sitter or, horror of horrors, locked him in a kitty crate. There was no way he could shift back in there. Even still as a child, he wouldn't have fit.

And so here he was, wondering what he was going to do.

The reflection of a face appeared in the glass. Then Shinichi was being picked up—something he was getting disturbingly accustomed to enduring. "There you are. You really like looking outside, don't you?"

Giggling happily, she carried Shinichi out of her room and into the living room. "Come on. Dad and I got gifts for you!"

Gifts? If he could have, Shinichi might have begun to sweat. The last time she'd brought him a gift, it had been the collar and tag he was wearing now. It was pink. Not only that, but it had a little bow on it. He had tried everything in his power to remove the darned thing, but they kept putting it back until he gave up. Then there had been the lacy pink kitty bonnet. Fortunately, he'd only been forced to wear that so the girl could take pictures of him.

And so it was with great trepidation that he watched the pet store bags being unpacked.

Out came a fluffy mouse toy. Shinichi felt his tail twitch. He was dismayed to realize it was a twitch of anticipation. Then came one of those cat tails for waving under kitty noses, a scratching post, a pink kitty bed, and a pink baby stroller that puzzled Shinichi until he remembered that some people enjoyed pushing their pets around like the animals couldn't walk for themselves. Blue eyes widened in mortification, but, sadly, humans were not adept at reading cat expressions.

"Come on!" the girl enthused. "I'm going to introduce you to my friends today. We're meeting at the park."

And so it was that Shinichi soon found himself being pushed out of the apartment in a baby stroller.

Suddenly he was very glad that no one he knew lived around here.

-0-

A young man wearing a baseball hat and a sports jacket over a T-shirt sporting a Jolly Roger print on it sipped idly at his soda. He was lounging on a park bench with earphones on, the perfect picture of a teenager waiting for his friends for a Saturday afternoon out. His gaze drifted across the park to where a cluster of elementary school kids were crowded around a pet stroller.

Coos of "Hello Cocoa-chan~" and "He's so cute" could be heard all the way from across the field.

An amused smirk made its way onto the young man's face.

"Well Akako," he murmured under his breath. "Looks like you're right again. But it looks like we're going to need to arrange a few things first."

Over in the pet stroller, Shinichi shivered. His head jerked up, and he looked around. For a moment there, he could have sworn that he'd felt someone's gaze on him. It had been an intense gaze quite unlike that of the laughing children hovering over him. But the feeling was gone as soon as it came.

-0-

It had been two weeks, and Shinichi had found, to his chagrin, that he had begun answering to Cocoa-chan.

Lying beside the locked balcony doors with his head under the bottom edge of the curtains so that he could look outside at the night sky, he sighed. Was this his fate? To be a family pet?

No, there had to be a way out of here. Well, he supposed he could always attempt an escape next time they took him out. He could have done so already if he'd used his claws, but he didn't like the idea of hurting these people. They were just living decent, ordinary lives, and they were taking care of him. No, they didn't deserve to get scratched.

He would just have to stay vigilant and watch for an opening. They had to make a mistake sooner or later.

Lost deep in his thoughts, it was a moment before Shinichi realized that the balcony was no longer empty.

There was a dark shadow on the balcony.

Shinichi stood up, his fur bristling. For the past week, he had felt eyes on him on and off. It had been making him uneasy. And now here was this midnight visitor.

Was it a burglar? That was the most plausible explanation. The Yoshida family didn't strike him as the kind to make enemies, so this was unlikely to be some crazy killer here because of a grudge. Then again, maybe it was a crazy person. That was definitely a cape he was wearing.

The dark shadow reached out with a black gloved hand and opened the balcony door. The subsequent gust of cold, night air caused the curtains to billow inward.

Shinichi backed up a step, startled. How had the robber opened the door with such ease? He was sure it had been locked. But this intruder hadn't worked any tricks that Shinichi had seen to unlock the door.

Shinichi flattened his ears and hissed at the intruder. At his current size, he wouldn't be much of a threat to a full grown man, but he wasn't about to sit by and let someone rob the place.

The dark shadow chuckled. "Now, now, is that any way to greet your savior."

Shinichi drew back in surprise. He knew that voice. It was Kaito!

The shadow crouched, and now Shinichi could make out familiar indigo eyes beneath the intruder's hat brim. That and a familiar grin.

"Aww, look at that cute little bow. How adorable."

Annoyed, Shinichi growled, but the magician only laughed.

"What took you so long anyway?" Shinichi demanded even though he knew Kaito couldn't understand him in this form. Kaito seemed to get the gist of it though as he lowered a small carrier he had been holding. A pair of cat eyes peered out from inside. The detective and the new feline regarded each other in mixed confusion and curiosity.

"It took a while to find this little guy. Here, meet your replacement."

With that Kaito opened the carrier. Out walked a black kitten who, disregarding the more panther-esque details, was a spitting image of Shinichi.

"Now we just have to do this." Kaito slipped the pink collar off of Shinichi and placed it on the new kitten. "There. Now it's your turn." He turned the carrier's opening to Shinichi. "Come on, in you go."

Shinichi would have scowled if he could, but he supposed he had no choice. Reluctantly, he walked into the carrier.

"Good. Well, take care of yourself, Cocoa-chan," the magician said to the replacement cat. Then he stepped back out onto the balcony, shut the door, and hopped up onto the railing. Shinichi was rather confused until the cape Kaito was wearing suddenly snapped out to either side, turning into a glider.

"And off we go," Kaito announced before diving off the balcony.

-0-

"Uh, so…"

Kaito quirked an eyebrow, looking down at Shinichi. This was even easier to do than it usually was because Shinichi was still a young child.

The detective shifted uncomfortably under the magician's impassive stare. "Um, how long will I stay like this?"

"Until Shiho turns you back," the magician replied, tone just as neutral as his face. "Which will be in a week from now."

"Huh? But why in a week?"

"Because I say so. Consider it your punishment for ignoring all our warnings. You are very fortunate that nothing untoward came of your indiscretion." Now, finally, the magician's blank expression cracked as he smirked and patted Shinichi on the head. "Now be a good little boy and go see Aoko. She'll have some assignments for you."

Shinichi flushed, both annoyed at being treated like a child and embarrassed because he knew he'd been careless and nearly gotten these people in trouble. Yet, despite that, they had still come to help him. He really owed them a lot.

Well, he wouldn't act so stupidly again, he promised himself. He owed them that at least.

* * *

 **-End of Chapter-**


End file.
